It refers to hoarding rare goods and waiting to sell them at a high price. It is also a metaphor for taking some kind of expertise or exclusive thing as capital and waiting for the opportunity to gain fame, wealth and status. The source of the idiom: "Historical Records·Biography of Lu Buwei": "Lu Buwei, Jia Handan, saw (Zi Chu) and took pity on him, saying: 'This is a rare thing that can be lived in.'" Examples of idioms: But they regarded the bills as rare things that could be lived in, and they would not let go until they had enough money. Back. Traditional Chinese writing: Strange goods can live in Phonetic: ㄑㄧˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄨ Strange goods can live in Hoarding business. Ba Jin's "Antonyms for rare goods to live in: treasured goods are hard to sell. Idiom grammar: subject-predicate form; used as predicate, object, attributive; contains derogatory connotations. Frequency: Common idioms. Emotional color: Neutral idioms. Idiom structure: subject-predicate idioms. Age of production: Ancient Idiom English Translation: set a high price and hold back Japanese translation: 奇物(きか)おくべしOther translations: